Storage battery.



No. 824,348. PATENTED JUNE 26, 1906.

@A A. FORD. STORAGE BATTERY.

APPLICATION FILED JULY20.1904

MAAT". A Al@ A UNITED STATES PATENT OFEIOE.

GEORGE A. FORD, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

STORAGE BATTERY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 26, 1906.

Application led July 20, 1904. Serial No. 217.344.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that'I, GEORGE A. FORD, a

y citizenof the United States, residing at This invention relates to storage batteries of the t e shown and described in my prior patent, o. 655,769, granted August 14,

1900, and more particularly to improvements upon the arrangement and construction of t e pans for supporting-the electrodes and also in theconstruction and arrangement of the plates which form these electrodes, to-

gether with other features of construction which will be more specifically brought out.

More specifically, the invention relates to the use of pans or trays having numerous perforations in the bottom thereof which are stopped or plugged with a composition of porous' materia whereby the active substance in the battery is always held about its .plate-and is prevented from dropping down om one element to another, and, further, providing suitable openings in these plates to permit the 'circulationl of thel electrolyte through the battery at all times, and provid- -ing -Ineans in connection with these openings for preventing the escape of the active material at this point, and, lastly, the invention contemplates certain improvements in the electrodes-tliat is, instead of using the single plate provided with vanes which are subjected to the active material an auxiliary plate is used to su plement the ordinary plate and increase t ie efficiency of the cell.

The invention may be briefiy summarized as consisting in the construction and combination of arts hereinafter set forth in the following escription, drawings, and claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure lis a to plan view of one of the trays or pans whic support the electrodes, showing the electrodelates partially in section. Fi 2 is a centra section through the jar, s Owing three of they lates in side elevation, one upon the line X' of Fig. 1 and another upon the line X Y of Fi 1. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of one of lt e pans or trays, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the conductorbars leading out ofthe battery.

All of the partsof my improved battery may be of any forni, size, and construction to meet any requirements. have, however, shown one embodiment in the drawings which is particularly useful and effective upon automobiles and which clearly demonstrates the features of my invention. In such embodiment A represents the jar or other receptacle in which the battery is built up, and it is provided interiorly, preferably upon the bottom, with suitable sup Orts a., as shown. These supports hold u tlie or trays which contain the electro es an the active material. (Not shown.) These trays are formed substantially in the configuration shown in the drawings, with the bottom portion thereof slanting "or inclining downward toward a common center and with suitableinset ortionsb atthe sides, which provide suitab e means for the assa e of the conductor-bars leading out o the attery. These trays are made of suiicient depth to receive the reater portion of the thickness of the electro es and are provided in the bottom with numerous perforations stopped or otherwise plugged with a composition of `any suitable porous material b, such as a mixture vof plaster-ofr-paris and meal, whereby when the electrolyte is placed in the battery the meal Will be dissolved or otheiwise consumed and the plaster-ofaris will be left ans more porous thanit natura ly is when it hardens without such material. I have shown these trays made preferably of gutta-perclia or any suitable material, with perfor-ations closed in the manner described, for the reasonthat such material is not susceptible to -disintegration caused by the action of the electrolyte in the battery, whereby they will always form a rigid support for the electrodes and there will be no short-circuiting through the battery from any cause. Then, too, they prevent any loss of the active material.

Each of the pans or trays B is provided with openings b2, referably two in number, having upon the a( jacent body portion of the plate a tubular member b3, which extends up clear through the electrode, as will more fully hereinafter appear'. These openings and tubular portions serve in insuringv a complete circulation of the electrolyte through the battery at all times, thus giving suoli electrolyte a greater op Ortunity tov act upon the electrodesf, and t us increases the efliciency of the batter Within each of the pans or trays is an elec trode, which consistsof a plate portion C,

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turned down at its edges to fit Within the edges of the pan and to hold it up from the bottom thereof and also having at its center a web c, which extends throughout `the length of the plate and increases in Width from one end to the other, terminating at the vlarge end in a stem'c. Between this central web c and both edges of the plate portion C are a series of vanes c2, which are cut and twisted in a 1Q manner such that their planes lie atan angle to the plane of `the plate portion-C. 'These vanes, together with the other plate portions exposed, are acted upon by the electrolyte in the batter 'and-direct their current to the z5 central we and to the stem c. .This plate is provided.y adjacent to the openings Zwith oWnwardly-projecting flanges e3, which fit the tubular portions b3 and sup ort the web c 'so that `it 1s held away from tIhe bottom of 2o the panor'tray.

. To increase the efficiency of the battery, .I have provided what I term an auxiliary electrode or late, Which-consists of the plate portion'C," avingl a central web c4, which 5 conforms substantially to thelength and conbentior 'crimped' around into a solid stem Whichprojects through an opening din a conductor-bar D. The positive plates of the battery lie with their stems extending in one 4o direction and havingsuitable perforations d in the ositive conductor-bar, while the nega-v tive p ates are alternated betweenA the positive plates and lie with their stems extending into the negative conductor-bar at the opposite en d ofthe battery. VThe plate portions C are 'each provided with perforations c7, .whieh permit the passage of the tubular members b3 of the pans.

.The number, size',and the configuration o v5o the lpans may vary to meet any ,desired conditions, and the material for plugging the per- 1 forations may also be changed in its constituent parts wit the invention.

Having described my invention, I claim- 1. An element for al storage battery-com' sistingof a .plate member havinga series' ot` i. spaced' varies; 'and' im auxiliary plate mem-` ber provided with fins projecting into, thel f ospaces between'sad venes." I 2. An element for Ia storage battery yconf sistin o1' a platemember having vanas cut there om and twisted out of th'eplane theref out departingfrom the spirit ofl tending' etween said vanes.

member.

4.v An element for a storagebattery consisting of aplate'portion stamped out with a' supporting edge, a central longitudinal web tapering from the outleading end to the o pol site en of the plate, and s aced venes ent from the'plateportion an extending from said web to the edgesof the late. 5. An electrode member or a storagebattery consisting of a comparatively long narrow central web and laterallyrojecting ins free at their outer ends; saidv 'ns continuing substantially inthe plane of the web except that they are turnedy on edge,combined With 8 5. and other member having openings to receive said fins, and a disk adapted to carry said members. -6.` The combination, with a Stora e bat# tery element,v of a supporting-pan t erefor having an opening throughit and atubular member rising around such opening, the element being iiang'ed downwardly around the tubular member hereby it is supported out of contact with the an. f l95 7. In aA storage attery, the combination. of a sup orting-pan of non-conducting matej rial, wit a conductoreplate upon said pan havingsuitable spaced varies, and an auxil-. iary conductor-p ate provided with finsextending between said vanes.

8. vIn a storage battery, the combinationv .of a supporting pan or tray. of non-conducting material, an electrode-plate .within said pan having a central web with vanes between` `1t and the edges of said plate'said vanes lying at an angle to the planaof said plate, an auxilf` iary electrode-plate having a web coextensive with said other web, and provided with fins extending. between said vanes,v 9. In a. storage battery, thecombination of a supporting pan or tray, of nonconducting' material, an electrode-plate '-within sairi` 'pan having a central ta ering web, with venes etween it andthe e gesofsaid plate said 115 varies 'lying at an angle tothe' lane of said plate, andan 'auxiiiary electro e-plate hav- 1n a taperingweb coextensive with said ot erta' erin'g web and provided with iinsex In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiix my signature' inthe presence of t'wo witnesses GEORGE A. FORD.

Witnesses :4

' v CHARLOTTE SMIEDEL,

. B. W. Bnooim'r'r.l

locai 

